Term Papers on Photosynthesis

Term Paper Title	Photosynthesis
# of Words	728
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	2.91

Photosynthesis

Matt Lazar
5/13/96
8th Hr.

     When you and me eat, we find our food.  When plants eat, they make their
own food and energy.  They make their food and energy through a process called
photosynthesis.  Through photosynthesis oxygen is also produced.  Photosynthesis
is "a process in which green plants synthesize carbohydrates from carbon dioxide
and water....The reverse of this reaction provides energy for plants, for
animals that eat plants, for animals that eat animals that eat plants" for
animals that eat animals that eat animals that eat plants, etc. (Levine 726)
All humans rely on these plants to produce oxygen from photosynthesis.  The
presence of light and of the green pigment chlorophyll makes the change of
carbon dioxide and water to glucose and oxygen possible.  It was Jan Ingenhouz
with Jean Senebier in Geneva that founded the basic gist of the theory of
photosynthesis in plants.
     My experiment involves testing different brands of plant food on plants
to see what brand of plant food makes the plant grow the tallest.  I will test
three types of plant food on three sets of plants and one set with no food.  I
will water the plants all the same amount and let all the plants get the same
amount of sun, then measure the height of all the plants at the end of six weeks
and record the data.
     The first step of photosynthesis is the absorption of light by a
chlorophyll molecule.  "The energy of the absorbed photon is transferred from
one chlorophyll molecule to another until it reaches a site called a reaction
center....One oxygen molecule is produced per eight photons absorbed." (Alberty
708)  James Huheey, professor at the University of Maryland, talks about
chlorophyll in his book Inorganic Chemistry: "Chlorophyll absorbs low-energy
light in the far red region....Such absorption serves a twofold function: (1)The
energy may be passed along to the chlorophyll system and used in photosynthesis;
(2)It protects the biological system from photochemical damage." (629)
"Chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b contain networks of alternating single and
double bands, and have strong absorption bands in the visible part of the
spectrum....," says Robert Alberty, who is a professor of chemistry at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (708)
     Photosynthesis, "...which occurs entirely in the chloroplasts of green
cells, involves a number of steps catalyzed by enzymes.  The chloro...

This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Digital Term Papers. Please register below now!

Digital Term Papers has over 63,000 essays, term papers, and book notes online. Many paper sites will charge you hundreds of dollars for a single paper. Digital Term Papers only charges $14.95 for a one month membership with instant account activation!

Don't waste anymore time! Join NOW!!!

1 Month (automatic renewal) ($14.95)

3 Months (automatic renewal) ($29.95)

6 Months (one-time billing) ($39.95)

Pay by: